


All Things Said and Done

by Amorfati32



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 12:29:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15388788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amorfati32/pseuds/Amorfati32
Summary: Based on the Tumblr prompt: takes place during ALL THINGS: (Mulder was obviously near the hospital at the end of the episode) He finds Scully talking to D. Waterston and overhears their conversation where Scully says she doesn't know what she wants. He starts to believe she doesn't want him...





	All Things Said and Done

Mulder entered the hospital, adjusting his baseball cap as he approached the reception desk on the lookout for his partner. He stifled a yawn as he waited in line, determined not to give in to exhaustion. His flight from London had landed only a few hours ago and he’d told himself he’d try and keep busy rather than take a nap and give in to the jetlag. So after dumping his suitcase back at his apartment and taking a quick shower to freshen up, he’d gone straight into the office, eager to catch up with Scully. He’d only been gone a short time but he’d missed her, and as much as he always liked visiting England he wanted to see his partner, maybe take her out to dinner. The truth was, he wasn’t used to travelling without her by his side, and he certainly didn’t want to get used to it. Next time, he told himself, he’d try a little harder to convince her to come, or else he’d rethink his trip.

He’d arrived at the office only to find that his partner was nowhere to be seen. He’d tried her cell phone, leaving her a message when he got straight through to her voicemail, and then tried her apartment, just in case hell had frozen over while he’d been gone and she’d taken a sick day. When there was no answer, Mulder remembered that she’d been spending some time at Washington National Hospital and before he left she’d been talking about heading there for some autopsy results. Deciding to take a chance just in case she was there, he drove over to the hospital, figuring that even if she was nowhere to be found, the fact he was keeping busy would at least distract him from sleep.

“Can I help you Sir?” The receptionist glanced up from her screen, raising her eyebrows in amusement as she took in his “Stonehenge Rocks” baseball cap. Mulder smiled politely, retrieving his FBI badge from his back pocket.

“Hi, I’m Special Agent Fox Mulder from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I’m looking for my partner, Dana Scully? I believe she’s been here recently, working on an autopsy –”

“Dana?”

“That’s her.”

“I saw her come in not too long ago.”

So it wasn’t a wasted trip. “Great. Is she downstairs?”

“I’d check the Cardiology ward first if I were you. That’s your best bet.”

“Cardiology?”

“She’s been visiting her friend.”

Scully hadn’t mentioned anything about a sick friend, Mulder thought to himself, feeling bad about bothering her over the past few days. No wonder she’d sounded distant and distracted over the phone, she was no doubt concerned about her friend. “I’ll check it out. Thank you.” He’d take a quick look in the ward, he said to himself. Just in case Scully needed some support. After the receptionist pointed him in the right direction, Mulder walked over to the elevator, unaware of what he was about to find.

Xxxxx

The ward was understandably busy when he arrived, staff all tied up with their patients, so Mulder went from room to room, keeping his eyes peeled for his partner. As he turned the corner he paused as he heard Scully’s voice. “What things?”

“Things got bad at home after…”

“Bad how?”

“I haven’t been completely honest with you. It was hard for me… when you walked away”. Mulder raised his eyebrows. He didn’t know who this man was, but from the way he was talking it sounded as though he and Scully were more than friends – or at least had been at one time. “I shut down from my family and needless to say, it was very difficult for Barbara.”

“You divorced.” Scully had an affair, Mulder thought to himself in surprise. At least, that was what it sounded like. She’d never mentioned anything like that happening in her life, though he knew she wasn’t exactly forthcoming about her previous relationships, Jack Willis aside. Their own relationship was still new and fresh, and Mulder hadn’t wanted to push her to talk about her past. He had to admit though, he was intrigued.

“Only after an interminable period of discomfort for us both.”

“Where did you go?”

“Here. Washington.”

“When?”

The other man spoke so softly that Mulder had to strain to hear. “Almost ten years ago.”

Ten years ago? Mulder thought to himself. Ten years and yet this seemed to be the first time Scully knew of it? Something didn’t quite add up.

“Daniel…” he heard Scully say. Daniel. Daniel and Dana. “You didn’t move here for me?”

“I didn’t mean for it to happen this way, of course.”

“Oh, God.” Mulder heard his partner sniff and realized she was crying. “You’ve come at such a strange time.” This caught Mulder’s interest and he frowned, edging closer still to the room. He wondered why she wasn’t already protesting, telling him that she wasn’t interested in whatever he had to say. She was in a relationship with Mulder, unless Mulder had misinterpreted the kisses, the touches, the hot make-out sessions in recent weeks that left him needing a few minutes to compose himself before heading home to a cold shower. But she said nothing, which only served to confuse him.

“I know, I know. You-you have a life.”

“I don’t know what I have.” Her admission was like a knife to the stomach for Mulder, and he felt himself slump against the wall. Maybe this was all a dream, he told himself. Maybe he had actually succumbed to jetlag and this was all a crazy dream. It had to be the only explanation, otherwise he really was listening to Scully dismiss their entire relationship. “I mean… your x-rays were in the wrong envelope. I never would have even known you were here if it wasn’t for a mix-up. It’s just…”

“What do you want, Dana?” Daniel asked, and Mulder was eager to hear the answer too. He waited with bated breath, and with her answer his whole world came crashing down.

“I want everything I should want at this time of my life. Maybe I want the life I didn’t choose.”

She didn’t want him, Mulder realized. Their whole relationship was a lie. He stepped forward, looking into the room and feeling his heart begin to break as Scully took hold of the man’s hand, then laid her head down on his chest. He wanted to go in there and break it up. He wanted to go in there and pull the cord on this Daniel guy. He wanted to demand answers from Scully, to find out why she’d been lying to him, but instead he looked on as Daniel glanced up over at the door, smiling as he saw Mulder standing there. Unable to stand there any longer, Mulder backed up, turned on his heel and walked out of the ward, needing to get away as quickly as possible.

xxxx

Mulder walked out of the hospital in a daze, still struggling to comprehend what he’d witnessed. He couldn’t believe that Scully had dismissed their relationship, that she’d implied she wanted something else, something more than him. He thought – wrongly now, he realized – that she felt the same way he did. Yes she’d wanted to take their relationship slow, that was why heavy make-out sessions were as far as they’d taken things so far, but he loved her and thought the feeling was mutual. But now…now he didn’t know what to think.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t even realized he’d been walking laps around the hospital. He’d intended to get into his car and drive back home, shut himself away from the world, but then part of him also wanted to storm into the hospital and demand answers. Of course he’d done neither, resorting to pacing, pacing and thinking about what had just happened. He hadn’t even registered the sound of someone running after him, and so he startled as he felt a hand on his arm, tugging at him to stop. He turned, surprised when he came face-to-face with Scully, the person he’d just been thinking about. She looked surprised, yet also pleased to see him. He only wished he felt the same.

“Hey.”

“Mulder?” She definitely hadn’t been expecting him.

“I was just looking for you.”

“But you’re supposed to be in England.”

He’d been meaning to surprise her. It turned out he was the one getting the surprise. “I’m back.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” he said, not wanting to get into it right now. “There was no event. No crop circles. Big waste of time.”

She sighed. Maybe sometimes nothing happens for a reason, Mulder.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” She smiled. “Come on, I’m make you some tea.”

She clearly hadn’t realized he’d been at the hospital, that he’d heard her interaction. “Are you sure?” He asked. “Don’t you have other things to be doing?”

Scully looked confused, but didn’t ask questions. “No, I’m all yours.”

*If only* Mulder thought, but said nothing. Maybe she’d explain soon, he thought to himself. Maybe that was why she wanted to speak to him now – maybe she was going to tell him she was leaving him for this once married man she’d been involved with. Sighing, Mulder felt Scully put her arm around him, then let her lead him away towards the parking lot.

Xxxxx

They’d agreed to go back to his apartment, taking separate cars. Mulder was back first and busied himself by tidying up, throwing his hastily discarded suitcase into his bedroom. By the time he’d retreated into the kitchen, Scully was entering his apartment using her key, smiling as she spotted him. She almost looked pleased to see him, he mused. “Hey,” she said, padding into the kitchen. Mulder suddenly panicked that she was going to try and kiss him and so he turned his attention to the kettle, grabbing it and filling it up with water. Scully had suggested they have tea, so tea was what they were going to have.

“How’s the jetlag?”

“It’s fine,” he replied without turning around. Once the kettle was plugged in and switched on he retrieved two mugs from the cupboard, setting them down on the counter in front of them. “I never really adapted to the time zone in the first place. You know me Scully, I don’t sleep.”

“So England was a waste of time?”

“Like I said, there wasn’t anything there. It was good to see the place again though. It’s changed a lot.”

“Where did you go?”

“Oh everywhere,” he replied dismissively. He didn’t want to talk about England. “What did –”

“I missed you,” Scully said suddenly, nervously almost. Despite himself Mulder turned, her words surprising him. Scully never said things like that, she never implied that she needed him. But then he recalled her conversation earlier that afternoon, saw her holding hands with her ex (was he really her ex now? he wondered) and he refused to soften at her words.

“I’m sure you kept yourself busy while I was away,” he replied, watching her closely for any reaction. Sure enough she blushed but said nothing, so he decided to question her further. “How was your week?”

“Quiet,” she joked. “The office wasn’t the same without you.”

“What were you doing at the hospital?” He wasn’t about to give up. “Was there a problem with the paperwork for the Szczesny autopsy?”

“No, that was all fine,” Scully replied, just as the kettle began to boil. Mulder felt himself simmering too, wondering whether his partner was going to say anything at all or completely evade the question.

“Good.”

“I was actually visiting a friend today,” Scully admitted, ducking her gaze. Mulder held his breath, waiting for the blow she was about to land on him. “A friend?”

“It was strange really. I went in to sort the autopsy paperwork and instead I was given the x-rays of someone I used to know.”

“That’s some coincidence.”

“Yeah.”

“An old school friend?” He just kept pushing.

“He was one of my professors at medical school.”

Mulder raised an eyebrow in surprise. A married man and her professor? He thought back to Jack Willis. Scully obviously had a thing for men in authority. He was surprised she’d been wasting her time with him – surely Skinner would have been a better option, he thought bitterly. “And he’s sick?”

“A heart condition.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.”

“So you were visiting him?”

Scully nodded. “Just catching up on old times.” Biting his tongue in a bid to stop himself from saying something both he and Scully regretted, Mulder focused on making the tea. Hot drinks he could handle, thoughts of Scully and her professor he could not. “I’ve seen him a few times this past week.”

“He must have been a good professor.” Out of the corner of his eye Mulder saw his partner bite her lip, deep in thought, and realized she was contemplating telling him the truth. It was then he also realized he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it.

“Actually he was more than just my professor. For a time at least…” Scully began, clearly nervous. Focusing more on what she was saying, Mulder filled his cup a little too full, the water running onto the counter and burning his other hand in the process. He figured he’d take a scalding over what she was about to tell him.

“Oh?”

“We were together.”

“Together?” He wasn’t about to make this easy for her.

“Well, not officially. We had an affair,” she explained, telling Mulder what he already knew. “It didn’t last long, and it’s not something I’m proud of. People got hurt…his family…and I regret that.”

“Do you?” Mulder asked suddenly, slamming the kettle down onto the counter. Scully’s eyes widened in surprise and she instinctively took a step back.

“Yes Mulder,” came the firm reply. “I’m sorry that his family were hurt.”

“But you don’t regret doing it? Or maybe you regret ending it…”

“Wha…Wait…I ended it?” Her eyes narrowing, Scully moved in closer, trying to meet Mulder’s gaze. “How do you know I ended it?”

He thought about lying, pretending that he gathered it from profiling her, that he figured she’d be the one to feel guilty and end it, but he knew Scully would see straight through his lies. “I came by the hospital earlier,” he said, leaning back against the counter, the tea now forgotten.

Scully looked confused. “I know. That’s where I bumped into you. Mulder, are you sure you’re not jetlagged?”

Shaking his head, Mulder tried again. “I came by earlier looking for you. The lady on reception told me to try the Cardiology ward because you’d been spending a lot of time there lately. I went up there and I heard you talking to him. To Daniel I presume…”

The color drained from his partner’s face. “What did you hear?” she asked softly.

“Just the part about not knowing what you wanted, about whether you should think about getting back together with him.”

“What?”

“It’s fine Scully,” Mulder replied, cutting her off, sounding very much not fine. “I’d just rather you told me to my face.”

“Mulder, you’ve got it all wrong.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my hearing.”

“But I didn’t mean that.”

“I saw the two of you. You were in his arms.”

“It was just a hug Mulder. I was upset, what he told me was unsettling.”

“It was unsettling for me too.”

“But you’ve got it all wrong!”

“Really? So when you said you wanted the life you didn’t choose, you meant something else completely did you? Because from where I stood it sounded very much like you were saying you wished you’d have chosen the life which didn’t involve me. I get it Scully…” he continued, before she could interrupt. “…and I don’t blame you at all. It would have just been nice for you to have been honest with me.”

“Mulder you’ve got it wrong,” Scully repeated. “Will you just let me explain?”

“Explain then.”

“Daniel’s words took me by surprise,” she began. “I once thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with him, and to hear he’d followed me to DC…if I’d known at the time then yes, things would have likely been different. But like I said to Daniel, that was then. I’ve changed, I’m not the same person anymore. If you’d have stopped jumping to conclusions out in the corridor then you would have heard me tell him that,” she added. “Daniel is not the man I want. You are the man I want.”

Mulder however, kept replaying the conversation he heard back in the hospital. “You said you wanted the life you didn’t choose,” he protested.

“If I could live a life where we were together, where your sister was alive and so was mine, where the In-Vitro worked…” she trailed off, her eyes brimming with tears. “Where we could both be happy without waiting for something bad to happen…of course I would want that life. But only if you were in it Mulder.”

Mulder felt his anger fading, his heart softening as she gave him a watery smile. “Daniel was my past. You are my present and you are my future. I’m just sorry it took so long for me to get here,” she sniffed. “I think it took seeing Daniel again to make me realize just what was standing right in front of me.”

“So I have Daniel to thank?”

Scully huffed out a shaky laugh. “I guess.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”

“I shouldn’t have given you reason to.”

Mulder held out his arms somewhat hesitantly, relieved when Scully stepped into his embrace straight away. “Do you think he’d rather flowers or a fruit basket?”

“Mulder…” But Scully was smiling too. “Don’t be mean.”

“I’m sorry.” He paused to kiss her crown. “It sounds like you’ve had a hectic few days.”

“That’s an understatement. You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”

“Try me.”

Giving him a searching look, trying to establish that he was serious, Scully nodded. “Okay,” she said. “But first you need to wash that burn, and I need to make some fresh tea.”

“You don’t like my tea?”

She grinned. “You forgot the teabags.”


End file.
